The present invention pertains to a sign mounting system. More particularly, the invention pertains to a sign mounting system for mounting a sign to a shelf.
Point-of-purchase displays and signs have become extremely popular in all manner of retail trades. Such signs can be particularly effective marketing tools when properly designed and utilized.
An extremely large number of different types of such point-of-purchase displays exist. These displays vary from the active-type, such as rotating signs for eyeglasses and the like, to commonly known passive types of signs such as overhead display signs. In a well-recognized arrangement, the signs are positioned on the shelves on which the goods are stocked, or on the vertical standards that support the shelves. In this manner, the signs are used to direct consumers"" attention to the particular goods or items that are on the shelves.
One effective way to direct consumers"" attention to particular goods or items is to place the signs at the front of the shelves, on top of partition walls supporting the shelves or on the face of such partition walls. One known type of sign that is positioned near the goods to be displayed, is permanently affixed to the shelf front. While such a sign is effective at directing consumers"" attention to particular items or products that are located on the shelf, because the sign is permanently affixed to the shelf, it can create difficulty in restocking the shelf. Additionally, permanently affixed signs can be easily damaged if due care is not exercised when restocking the shelves.
Another known type of sign system includes a mounting portion that is permanently affixed to, for example, a vertical shelf standard, and includes an arm that extends out from the mounting bracket and has a pivoting head at the end of the arm. The sign is mounted to the pivoting head to permit the sign to be moved out of the way during shelf restocking. One major drawback to this particular sign arrangement is that there are many small hardware items that are necessary for assembling the sign, and many of the hardware items must be removed in order to pivot the sign out of the way from its normal, display position to the restocking position to restock the shelf.
In many known shelving arrangements, the shelves extend from vertical supports posts having partition walls extending between and connecting the posts. The shelves rest on brackets or supports that extend from both sides of the face of the partition walls. Various different types of point-of-purchase display systems are known for these shelving systems. One particular kind of sign is mounted to the vertical supports or the face of the partition wall behind the shelves. Another known type of sign extends upwardly from the top of the partition walls at a height above the floor that provides increased visibility over greater distances.
While these sign systems can be effective in directing consumers"" attention to a particular product or shelf location, such systems suffer from a variety of drawbacks. First, as with the shelf mounted signs discussed above, these sign systems are relatively inflexible in that they cannot be installed in more than one manner on a particular shelving system. In addition, because of the differences between such sign systems, the installation hardware for these systems typically varies from one system to the next and does not permit interchangeability. As will be recognized by users of such sign systems, these drawbacks can result in increased costs for maintaining a large quantity of different sign types and their respective mounting hardware, and can also result in not having on-hand the proper signage to, for example, advertise a sale or special item.
Accordingly, there is a need for a flexible sign mounting system that permits a sign to be mounted to commonly used shelving systems in a variety of configurations. Desirably, such a sign system permits a sign to be mounted to the front and/or horizontal surface of a shelf. More desirably, such a sign mounting system permits a sign to be pivotally mounted to the shelf top/front surface. Most desirably, such a shelving system utilizes common components among the different types of installation arrangements, and permits the signs to be installed with minimal hardware and tools.
A mounting system provides for mounting a sign, such as a sheet or a panel, to a shelf system having support posts and at shelves extending from the posts. The system permits mounting the sign to a shelf front or on the support posts at the face of a partition wall that extends between the posts or to the top of the posts.
The mounting system includes a display portion having first and second generally parallel, spaced apart runners connected to one another by a pair of spaced apart connecting members. The runners and connecting members define a frame or sign receiving region. The display portion includes at least one of a shelf mounting bracket receiving region, a wall surface mounting bracket receiving region and a wall top mounting bracket receiving region. The system further includes a shelf mounting bracket, a wall surface mounting bracket and/or a wall top mounting bracket.
The shelf mounting bracket receiving region includes a pivoting element for pivotally mounting the display portion to the shelf mounting bracket for pivoting the display portion between a first position and a second position. The display portion is maintained in the first position by releasable engagement of the display portion with the shelf mounting bracket.
The wall surface mounting bracket receiving region includes an elongated opening in at least one of the connecting members intermediate the runners. The opening extends along a portion of the connecting member and is adapted to receive the wall surface mounting bracket. The wall top mounting bracket receiving region includes a notch in one of the runners at an end thereof. The notch extends along a portion of the runner and is adapted to receive the wall top mounting bracket.
Advantageously, the present tri-mount system permits the use of a single display portion that is configured for use in any of the three aforementioned mounting configurations. That is, the same display portion can be used as either a shelf front sign, a partition wall surface sign or a partition wall top sign. Moreover, the mounting brackets are interchangeable between signs, as are the signs interchangeable among mounting brackets. The sign mounting system can thus provide a considerable cost savings over known sign mounting systems.
In addition, the present system requires no additional hardware for mounting a sign in any of the three configurations. That is, unlike known sign systems that require additional hardware, the present tri-mount system requires only the mounting brackets to install the display portion to a shelf system. Moreover, using the present tri-mount system, signs can be installed without tools. The various mounting brackets of the present system lock onto shelves and engage support posts by frictional and snap-lock cantilever arrangements such that no tools are necessary for installation. This greatly reduces the time necessary and attendant costs for producing creative and xe2x80x9cattention-gettingxe2x80x9d merchandising displays.
A preferred mounting arrangement includes a shelf mounting bracket having a shelf rest that rests on, or lies adjacent the shelf. The rest includes engaging projections at an end thereof for engaging the shelf and a hinge that pivotally mounts the display portion thereto for pivoting the display portion between the first position and the second position. Preferably, the hinge is formed on a hinge arm that extends generally transversely from the rest, and is operably connected to the display portion at one of the first and second runners.
To lock the display portion into the first position, a tab can extend from one of the connecting members, and the shelf mounting bracket can include a display engaging member for engaging the tab. In this manner, the display portion is releasably locked to the bracket when it is in the first position. The tab and display engaging member are releasable from one another to pivot the display portion to the second position. For ease of releasing the display portion, the display engaging member is readily accessible and extends through an opening formed in the connecting member.
In a preferred configuration, the rest includes at least one, and more preferably a plurality of engaging projections, at least one of which is a locking projection. The projections are adapted to insert and lock into corresponding openings in the shelf to define a cantilever retaining arrangement of the bracket on the shelf. The bracket can further include a shelf hook that extends from the rest for releasably locking the bracket to the shelf.
The wall surface mounting bracket is adapted to mount the display portion to the support posts. The wall surface bracket includes a main body having at least two projections extending from a side of the body for inserting and locking into corresponding openings in the support posts. Display engaging elements extend from an opposing side of the body and are configured to releasably, lockingly engage the display portion to secure the display portion to the posts. Preferably, the display engaging elements have an arcuate shape to facilitate engaging the display portion to the bracket.
In a most preferred wall surface mounting arrangement, the bracket includes a pair of substantially identical display engaging elements spaced from one another and adapted to releasably, lockingly engage two display portions in side-to-side relation to one another.
The wall top mounting bracket is used to mount the display portion to the support posts at the top of the posts. The wall top mounting bracket has a main body and at least two projections extending from an end of the body for inserting and locking into corresponding openings in the support posts. A display engaging element extends from an opposing end of the body and is configured to engage the display portion to secure the display portion to the top of the posts.
Preferably, the wall top mounting bracket includes a pair of substantially identical display engaging elements spaced from one another. Similar to the wall surface mounting brackets, the engaging elements of the top mount are configured to engage two display portions in side-to-side relation to one another.
An alternate mounting system for mounting the sign to a generally horizontal shelf includes a display portion including an arm forming a portion of and defining a sign receiving region. The display portion includes a display hinge portion defining an axis of rotation. The display portion further includes a detent spaced from the axis of rotation to define a radially distal-most portion.
A shelf mounting bracket mounts the display portion to the shelf. The shelf mounting bracket includes a pivoting element cooperating with the display hinge portion for pivotally mounting the display portion to the shelf mounting bracket.
The display portion is pivotal between a first position and a second position, the shelf mounting bracket includes a flexible tongue configured to engage the detent to maintain the display portion in the first or second position and to disengage from the detent to move the display portion to the other of the first or second position.
In one embodiment, the display hinge portion is at an elevation below an elevation of the shelf rest. Alternately, the display hinge portion is at an elevation about equal to (or slightly below) an elevation of the shelf rest.
The detent can include a hook-like portion and the tongue can like-wise include a hook-like portion. The hook-like portions engage one another to maintain the display portion in the first or second position when the detent is engaged with the tongue.
Other features and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following detailed description, in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, and the appended claims.